New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-11
A MASTER IN FICTION.
SOME ROCKS THAT WILL LIVE.

~. cro.swaysi Evan Harrington: The Ordeal o.
Rshsrd Fsvcrsi: Tho Adventures Of Harry Ty. Ren
fsanchsmp's Career: The Egoist: The shaving Oh
shaapat: and Farina. Boston: Roberts brolners
The handsome new edition OF George Meredith
Works which has been issued simultaneously IL
London and Boston may be safely regarded as CYL
asncs that the writings of this anthor obtaining
an apvreciatiou and recognition somewhat in pro
norr,op 10 their merits 1t is not indeed, at OIL prob
ahIe that George Merediths novels will ever be pop
Mar in the general sense Of the word Their excel
lences no less IL an their faults must conhns the
circle of their admirers. But they of quality sc
fine AND strong that they must win their way 10 =
high place in contemporary literature. In attemp.
ing an esti mate of them 1t cannot be oVe''oono
that the effect of having an audience III ou' 10"
has been prejudiciai to the authors progress
of his literary faiings nav DO traceu w "n az
normal predominance of the INTELLECT I'D Mo on",
ont., IA. writ,ors are electric with wit Ills
dialogue tends naturally to epigram. IL IL often ."
brilliant as to recall the dialogue Oh 'ongro'e'
ore could imagine the latter purged Oh ts
The virility and keenness OF MI Meredi'n m'lu
lead him frequently into iinpatience win inc sus
gish thought processes OF others. ms n'moe in'0i
lat and opuleat imagination play into ono
an"ther AZ swiftly and subtv that the average
raader is not seldom obliged to pause and ponder
.omo remark, some observation some flashing reply
which packs an essay into sentence, or illustrates
an issue in a phrase Indeed it has been made cause
of comnlaint that his novels demand study, anu
cannot be lightly SKINNED Ike the ordinary notion
of the period and the complaint has sohd OASIS
For with all the strong intellectually, tne Keen
perception the analytic power, the facility OF OK
pres.iop, the breadth Of scope, which characterize
Mr.. Meredith's works they are dehcient IN thS'
sympathy with human weakness which can aioho
nut writer en- rapport with his KIND. lhis oeie0'
has opnareptly not been rendered less conspicuous
by the authors consciousness that the general pup
lie could not be brought to admire his writings
Feeling himself thrown back upon a small cultured
class of readers he has been led to give wider play
En- those purely intellectual tendencies which al
ready preponderated unduly, and the result mas
been the emphasizing OF pecnliarites when were
ia need of modification from che beginning.
The effect of the authors dominant habits OF
Thought upon his characters would DO more mis
chieyous than it is were these habits not fortu-
natey corrected IN part by the poetica side OF mis-
mind This imparts elevation and warmth 10 con-
ceptions which would otherwise often DC httie
more than intellectual distractions ana winch
standing the skill shown in exploiting them
wpud awake as little living interest in the breasts
of novel readers as the lay-6gures employed by
Plato in his Dialogues. The poetry which is ais
tiuct side of Mr. Meredith is, however Itself rsher
an expression of the sense OF beauty, grace ana
harmony than of those purely human passions
winch stir mems and womsn's blood. and whose
manifestation causes common chords 10 viprate'
Passion 10 absent from this poetic form 1t lives
indeed, but it do.s not glow 1t suggests
warmth. put never heat. 1t is the poetry OF the
mind rather than that Of the heart Therefore is 1t
that while Mr. Meredith's characters often satisfy
the intellect completely. they do not always I'M
press themselves upon the memory with the force
which Is attained by many less distinguished
writer's Therefore also is 1t that Mr. Meredith has
drawn 70 many exquisite women the GOODNESS OF MS
fancy, the decacy of his touch, being reflected In
the sustained puremindedness and simplenobillty OF
these his creations. He has been praised, and Justly
for his female characters But here and there bis
diagnosis fails; bis penetration Is at faut; he e1
noses the uncertainty of the method OF intellectual
analysis pure and simple. striking instance oc-
ours in Diana of the Crossways" 1t Is the sale
by Diana of the political secret confded to her by
Dacisr. Mr. Meredith does not appear to have per-
ceived how startling and incongruous an act this
was. Yet it ia really quite incompatible with the
view of Diana which he clearly wishes to convey.
She has been repi esentcd as a hgh-m minded sensi-
tive, fne-fbred woman. Suddenly she commits
the grossest treason and perfdy apparently with
ont realizing its shamefulness. Her iover-to whom
she is promised-ntrusts ner with secret oil vital
consequence to his own prospects aud those OF his
party Within an hour of his departure she Is on
her way to a newspaper Office to sell the intelli-
gynce Surely so base, so dishonest, so faitb!ess
deed is inconsistent with the character OF Dian a;
nay, is inconsistent with the character of any true
woman, any honorable. self-respectng lady
There are other indications that Mr.. Meredith
sometimes fails to keep in touch of humanity. A
second instance is the conduct OF Richard Feverel,
lin the novel Of that name) when he leaves his wife
the second time. The incident deepens the tragedy
and the pathos of the book, but at the expense Of
nearly all the readers regard for the hero. Up to
that point he might have been misguided, but at
that point he becomes heartess and we revolt from
him. "The Ordeal of Richard Feverep Is unques-
tionably q great work. We are not prepared to
indorse the opinion of an English critic to the effect
that il is the greatest novel of the century, but 1t
certainly is entitled to high rank. Its moral .s
the futity of all efforts to expe or to bind nature
and especially human nature The pragmatical
father of Richard Foverel, with his scientific
scheme of education and his patent methods OF
controlling youthful nclinatioDs. Is not indeed an
original figure in fiction. but no 10 exceilently pre-
scented and as excellently sustained. Richard hint
self is drawn with q light and one might think
almost LOVING hand. until he is brought to the
close Of his ordeal, and then Is maze 10 nuict tnat
wantoa and most barbarous torture upon as sweet
wife as ever lived between tho pages of novel.
the cxaggei alton seems to intimate kind of moral
density on the part of the author, aud comparison
with tue csse of Diana and Darier rather fortfes
this theory. In The Adventures of Harry Rich
mond the relations between Ottilia and Harry are
marked by q slightly similar shadow Of defective
moral perception. Here the fault 10 on the part oil
the man. the conduct of the lady being character
lied only by frgidity and prudence more credit
able to the mead than to the heart.
In writer so fond Of sarcasm and satiie. and &C
prone to indulge humortoo heavily freighsed with
thought to be always light-footed. 1t may perhap:
be susr ected that Of these apparent slips are
Intentional This, however, does not appear to be
the fact As rule Mr.. Meredish loses no or por.
tunity Of turning the examples OF his characters tt
edi6cation He affects the role of tho Greek Chorus